Beginnings And Ends
by 16thfiction
Summary: As the early days of December drag on, Cory and Topanga nervously wait for the birth of their firstborn, Riley Matthews. Meanwhile, Shawn struggles with how to handle the upcoming changes in his friends' lives. (Story 7 in Meeting The World Fanfic series)
1. Chapter 1

"'Night Mom." Cory smiled with exhaustion in his eyes, leaning over slightly so Amy could reach his cheek with a kiss.

"Goodnight, Cor." Amy said, exiting Cory and Topanga's darkened apartment for the night. "I'll be here tomorrow morning around nine."

"Okay, thanks, Mom."

Closing the door, Cory sighed with a long yawn. It had been a crazy few hours, and all he wanted to do was pull back the bed sheets and wrap himself up in them like a mummy.

But, the apartment was a mess, and his pregnant wife was trying to pick up the debris of the night by herself.

"Topanga, don't do that." Cory said with frustration, as he had had to say this to settle that stubborn nature of her's constantly as of lately.

"Cory..." Topanga started to weakly protest, but quickly gave in with an eye roll and a yawn as he sat her on the couch nearby.

"The baby is due any day, Topanga," Cory said, turning to grab wrinkled gift paper and Styrofoam cups from the floor. "I'm not gonna let you bend over backwards with that belly of your's as big as it is."

Topanga, at the mentioning of her bloated stomach, glanced down at it as she carefully placed her hand on it and began to softly rub circles. She smiled at the image of their beautiful girl, curled up in there asleep at the moment, who they would be seeing in only a few days. They had just finished a fun baby shower with her girl friends from Philly and NYU to celebrate the approaching arrival of Riley.

_Riley._ Topanga could hardly wait to whisper that name in her newborn, little girl's ear soon.

It had been a long few months for Topanga since fall had begun, since she had nothing to do after being forced to set college to the side for a year to take care of the coming baby. She did have a job to go to in the early months of the season, but she had just recently quit to stay at home and rest.

Amy had been staying in the apartment with Topanga to watch after her during the day for about a week now, in case she suddenly began to go into labor while Cory was out working and attending classes. It had been nice to have the company of her sweet mother-in-law, as they chatted with each other while dashing last minute touches into the preparations for Riley.

Topanga suddenly felt an anxious leap inside her stomach at the thought of possibly going into labor at any time during these next few days; she had tried to avoid thinking about what labor would really be like. She was prepared to feel miserable and in an unfathomable amount of distress and pain, but she preferred not to put much worry into that.

Now, with small contractions coming in here and there lately, she was beginning to think about it more and more, and she realized how much she was desperately dreading that part of their daughter's entrance into the world.

"Topanga, you can go on to bed if you're tired." Cory said, glancing up from tossing trash into a plastic bag as he watched his wife's glazed, tired stare into space.

Snapping out of her thoughtful stare, Topanga saw Cory's worried eyes and smiled, shaking her head. "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes, Cory." Topanga reassured her husband. "I just wanna spend sometime with you."

Cory smiled, dropping the garbage bag and sitting gently next to his wife. Topanga drew herself closer to his side, laying her head on his shoulder and smiling contentedly. Cory reached over and imprinted a long, gentle kiss on her forehead before lying his own heavy head back against the couch cushions.

"You know, this may be one of the last moments we get to spend alone together." Topanga said quietly, smiling up at Cory. "After Riley comes, this will be gone."

"What do you mean?" Cory said, lifting his head to make eye contact with Topanga.

"Well," Topanga uncomfortably adjusted her position underneath the awkward pressure of her swollen stomach. "Right now, you and I are still considered a young, newly-wedded couple in college. We spend all our time together, doing whatever we feel like doing, but when Riley comes, we'll be—"

"A family..." Cory said, as if he were just now noticing how dramatically their lives were really about to change. "Right now, it's just you and me, together—"

"But Riley will make us a family." Topanga smiled, this time taking her turn to reach up and gently kiss Cory.

A few more tender kisses followed, until the beeping of Cory's watch distracted them. Lifting his arm to glance at the time, Cory sighed shortly as he saw it was midnight.

Topanga turned her eyes towards the bedroom door across from the cluttered living room. "You should probably go tell Shawn he can come out of his room now that the baby shower is over."

Shawn had insisted on avoiding Angela during the baby shower, so he cooped himself up in his room for the night. He had been doing better as the months went by, but the pain he felt whenever he saw Angela was too uncomfortable to endure.

Cory, staring at his friend's door for a second, shook his head and stood up, picking up the bag and finishing the cleaning. "He probably fell asleep a long time ago."

But, Shawn wasn't asleep. He was lying underneath his tussled bed sheets on his back, his hands clasped together beneath his head as he listened to Cory and Topanga's conversation outside his door. They were right; once Riley came along, they would be a family.

And Shawn would not be apart of that family.


	2. Chapter 2

At this point, Topanga was moving at a pace slower than the passing of the days.

Simply being pregnant was hard, but being only a few days away from her due date was torturous. Topanga spent most of her time weighed down on the couch, barely moving as she dozed in and out of sleep, blankly gazed at the afternoon talk shows on TV, and occasionally asked Amy if she needed help with the housework.

"You're killing me, Topanga." Amy would desperately groan. "Even with a baby due at any moment, you're asking me if you can _help_ with the _housework_."

Whenever Topanga did have to get up—mostly due to her frequent bathroom breaks-she felt like she was doing leg squats. The weight from her growing daughter made it a struggle for her to even stand up, as she would have to support her stomach with one hand and push herself into a half-standing position using her other hand.

Luckily, when anyone was in the room with her, they would quickly come to her side and assist her, but even then, Topanga couldn't wait to get rid of this nearly unbearable weight.

Three days before her due date, Cory came home from his last day of classes for the second semester, feeling cheerful and anticipant for the days to come.

"Hey, Mom." Cory said, slinging his backpack into a kitchen chair. He glanced over at the steaming stove top as he ripped a banana from its bunch, peeling it with a _pop _and biting into its soft texture as he continued, "Whatcha making?"

"Just cooking some chicken for dinner tonight." Amy responded wearily, keeping her eyes on the bubbling pot of water. "Topanga likes chicken, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Cory said with a mouthful of banana, beginning to perch himself on the countertop before asking suddenly, "Where is Topanga?"

"She's resting in the bedroom." Amy nodded her head, glancing over her shoulder towards the bedroom with an anxious look in her eyes.

Cory noticed his mom's stressed out appearance, frowning with confusion. "Hey, Mom—is everything okay?"

Amy caught Cory's stare, seeming startled before shaking her head. "I'm worried about Topanga—she's been very quiet all day." Continuing to tend to the cooking chicken, Amy muttered under her breath to herself, "Wouldn't be surprised if—"

She suddenly looked up at Cory, realizing he was listening to her talking to herself. Turning her attention back to preparing dinner, she asked, "Could you go check on her, please?"

Cory nodded, his eye brows still furrowed in concern as he chucked his banana into the garbage. As he reached the half-closed bedroom door, he quietly glanced in and gingerly stepped across the carpeted bedroom, sitting softly beside his sleeping wife.

Lying on her side, Topanga's ribs slowly rose and fell with her peaceful breathing. Her expression, to Cory's concern, seemed to be pained, as if she were in discomfort, and as he watched her, he could hear an occasional short, soft whimper or groan.

_Riley must be coming really soon,_ Cory thought as he gently reached to her forehead and brushed away strands of her hair, kissing it softly before rising to leave her alone.

Before he had time replace the door in its previous position, Topanga moaned quietly, "Where are you going?"

Cory looked over at his wife, who still maintained the pitifully distressed expression as she watched him return to her side.

As he sat gently on the edge of the bed, Cory grinned, whispering, "I thought you were sleeping."

Topanga didn't respond, just closing her eyes again with a grimace and a sigh.

By now, Cory was beginning to see why his mom seemed so stressed and concerned earlier. Topanga really was quiet and unresponsive; it was unlike her to behave like she was.

Cory sighed, silently picking up her hand and placing a warm kiss on it, rubbing her smooth skin lovingly with his thumb as he watched her fall asleep.

Riley would be coming _really _soon.


	3. Chapter 3

"Alan, I think you'd better start coming up here tomorrow."

In the cozy beam of light from the lamp that gently lit the otherwise dark apartment, Amy was busy tightening sheets and blankets across the couch cushions, talking to her husband by pressing the phone receiver between her shoulder and ear. She had checked out of her hotel room earlier that evening, as Cory wasn't comfortable with his mom staying a couple blocks out of reach versus a couple paces _within _reach, since Topanga was feeling bad.

At random moments throughout the entire evening, Topanga had been having sharp contractions, leaving Cory and Amy taking anxious glances at each other as they tried to console her. They both felt she could go into labor at any moment in the next 24 hours.

"Why? Is Topanga in labor yet?" Alan asked, his tone rising with panic as he was afraid of missing his grandchild's birth.

"No, not yet," Amy continued to mess with the sheets on the couch, finally sitting down as she got them straightened and unwrinkled. "She's been having painful contractions at times, and she's been very quiet and...out of character."

"Isn't that how someone with their due date only two days away is _supposed_ behave?" Alan said, his tone sounding a bit annoyed.

"Of course—it's just disconcerting to see her like this because, well, this is her first time giving birth...I don't know, Alan, I'm just worried for her. I'm afraid she's going to be in a lot of pain."

"Amy, she will be. But, you two will be by her to help her through it. That's why you're there right now, to be there for her." Alan said with assurance. "You've been where she's been four times, and you know how to comfort her."

"I know..." Amy still sounded disturbed by it as her voice trailed off. "I've never _watched_ someone give birth, I've always _been _the one _giving_ birth. It's especially hard because it's my _child's_ child, and it's his wife who's going through pain. I mean, I've always considered Topanga a second daughter to me besides Morgan, and I don't want to see her hurting so much."

"Amy, everything will be fine. I'm going to round up Josh, Morgan, Feeny—I mean, _George_ and his wife tomorrow morning, and we'll be there in the afternoon." Alan said reassuringly in his gentle, yet firm tone. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Alan. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You will. Sleep tight, hun. Goodnight."

"Goodnight—" Amy hung up with her goodbye, placing the phone quietly on the receiver.

Alan was right, everything would be fine. She and Cory were completely capable of taking care of Topanga.


	4. Chapter 4

A few blocks across town, in the anticipant, uncomfortable silence of their NYU dorm room, Rachel and Angela were getting ready for bed. However, sleeping was the farthest thing from their minds, as all they could focus on was if Topanga was doing okay—or if she wasn't.

Setting her hairbrush on the sink counter, Rachel flicked off the bathroom lights and smiled at Angela, who was quietly sitting on her bed with her legs crossed, busy staring into space in thought.

"You're thinking about Topanga, too, huh?" Rachel said, sitting on her own bed and crossing her own legs as she turned to see Angela.

"Yeah, I am," Angela said, not adjusting her stare from its unblinking position. "I hope she's doing okay..."

Meanwhile, in the sleeping neighborhood back in Philadelphia, Mr. Feeny sat against his pillows propped up on the bed frame, his wife sitting in bed next to him. He was attempting to read a book to wind down his mind, yet he was absent-mindedly skimming the paragraphs without even reading the story that was being described.

His thoughts were also with Topanga, and how she was doing. He had never been so close to any students before Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Eric, so he had never once known—or much less thought—about the other students anytime they were facing something as big as what Topanga was handling at the moment.

He hoped she wasn't going through too much pain, and unlike he and his first wife had the joy of experiencing, he prayed that she and Cory would be able to hold a living child in their arms very soon.

Next door, Alan was sitting in the window seat of his sons' old bedroom—now occupied by Josh—as he gazed out the window at the star-dotted sky above. He didn't tell his wife when they last talked on the phone about how he had also been worrying about Topanga and his son all day.

Alan knew how frightening it was for a man to help a wife who was experiencing pain due to childbirth, and he hoped Cory would stay calm and collected, because everyone knew how horribly Cory usually handled intense situations.

That was the main reason why Amy was up in NYC right now, to calm both her daughter-in-law and her son.

It felt incredible for Alan to sit in the room where years ago, his son had slept, played, and lived in, while now his son was grown and in another state, preparing for his first child to be born.

As he considered it, it seemed to Alan like it wasn't so long ago when he had held a crying, newborn Cory in his arms; within the next days, maybe even hours, he could be cradling his first grandchild.

Back in NYC, one person was almost more nervous than anyone else close to the Matthews couple, and that was Shawn.

Shawn had tried to avoid staying in the apartment during the days approaching Topanga's due date, and he had bailed the place a few hours earlier when she began yelping out with the contractions. He couldn't stand the pressure and stress of seeing Topanga hurting like she was; after all, he had known her just as long as he had known Cory.

So, to keep himself from returning to the apartment, Shawn was leaning against the cold brick wall of an alley, paying attention to the mixed sounds and sights of the city at twilight. He could hear the thumping of the base from the music playing inside the building next to him, as well as the slender beam of light that stretched across the ground with the opening of the back door.

Shawn glanced up with the roaring of an incoming plane that would land at the airport a few blocks away, watching the lights on each wing flash in an alternating pattern.

He paid attention to the screaming of a police car's siren, probably searching for a criminal's whereabouts or reporting to a building that had an alarm going off.

_Or, wait—_Shawn suddenly froze, thinking about if that was an ambulance's siren. He assured himself that it was most likely not what he thought it was, but it was still enough to prompt him to return to the apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

The apartment seemed to be silent and sleeping as Shawn listened for sounds from outside in the hallways. There was no light squeezing beneath the door, so it seemed safe to enter.

As he did so, Shawn saw Amy asleep on the couch, which arose an unsettled, anxious feeling in his stomach. Odds were that if Cory's mom was here, Topanga probably hadn't been doing very well since he had left.

Still, Shawn soundlessly headed for his bedroom, closing the door quietly and letting out his breath with a sigh. His unkept room—cluttered with wrinkled clothes and dirtied socks both on the floors and on his unmade bed—was dimly lit by the flickering light from the screen of his TV. He dully registered the hysteric laughing of an audience from a late night show as he threw more clothes aside while he undressed.

As he slid beneath his covers, still leaving the TV on, Shawn hoped that nothing would happen to Topanga in the middle of the night.

Nevertheless, across from his bedroom, Cory had just fallen into a light sleep, only to be startled awake again by a firm grasp on his arm that was accompanied by a sudden cry.


	6. Chapter 6

"It's okay, Topanga—honey, _breathe...breathe..._"

Cory could hear both his mother's soothing tone and his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he ripped an already-packed suitcase out from beneath their bed. It was barely past midnight, and Topanga seemed to be in labor—and in an unbelievable amount of pain.

Quickly glancing at his wife before turning into the bathroom to grab a few unpacked toiletries, Cory couldn't believe how agonized she looked. Amy was right by her side, holding onto Topanga's tight, sweaty grip with one hand while nervously alternating between gently patting and rubbing her back. She winced in sympathy as she felt Topanga's whole body violently shivering beneath her hand.

Bending forward as she tightly clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, Topanga tried everything she could to keep from screaming any more than she already had been.

She failed in forcing herself to be quiet, though, as she yelled out again with another strong contraction, causing Cory to jerk his head over his shoulder and Amy to start forward, murmuring soothingly in Topanga's ear and reminding her to breathe.

"Topanga, you're fine, you'll be fine..." Amy assured calmly, feeling her daughter-in-law's panicked grip on her hand strengthen.

Shawn, pacing the living room outside and, having already called the doctor to warn them of their coming soon, was ringing up others to alert them about Topanga's condition.

"Amy?" Alan's voice was heard on the other line as Shawn dialed the Matthews' home phone number.

"No, Mr. Matthews," Shawn responded, the phone shaking with his trembling hands. "It's Shawn, and uh, Topanga—" He jumped a little at Topanga's sudden, anguished cry coming from the bedroom. "I think she's going into labor right now."

"Now? At twelve in the morning? Geez—" Alan panicked. "Tell Amy we're on our way."

Over in Philadelphia, as Alan forced the phone into the receiver, he leapt around the bedroom while struggling to quickly step into the pant legs of his jeans.

"Morgan!" Alan shouted as he tugged out his own pre-packed suitcase after pulling on a shirt. "Get Josh up and get yourselves dressed, Topanga's in labor!"

Stumbling down the back staircase and throwing the suitcase onto the kitchen counter, Alan quickly flipped on the outside light, threw the door open, and practically leapt over Feeny's fence to slam his fist against his back door.

Minutes later, Mr. Feeny's lights flashed on inside, proceeded by his opening the door a few seconds afterwards. His white hair was extremely messy and sticking up in many different places, and his eyes appeared both sleepy and startled.

"Alan, what—"

"Topagna's in labor, George. Grab what you need, get your wife and yourself out here in no less than five minutes, I'm going to load the car—"

With the rattling slam of the fence gate, Alan sprinted back inside to find the car keys as Mr. Feeny quickly turned and shouted for his wife.

Sure enough, in nearly five minutes, both families were outside, awakening neighbors with their frantic shouts and thuds of car doors, driving off into the abandoned roads and towards New York City.

Back in the tense atmosphere of the apartment in NYC, Shawn was dialing Rachel and Angela's number as he shouted into the bedroom, "Mr. Matthews' is coming right now!"

"Don't forget to call Topanga's parents!" Amy called over Topanga's screaming.

Of course, how could he have almost forgotten Topanga's own parents? Clearing the numbers he had dialed, Shawn leapt into the kitchen for the phonebook and began dialing Topanga's mom's number.

"Hello?" Topanga's mother sounded wide awake, unlike the people Shawn had already called.

"Hi, Ms. Lawrence, it's Shawn—" Shawn began nervously, as he rarely ever had to speak to either of Topanga's parents. "Topanga just went into the labor, so—yeah..."

"Oh my goodness—" Ms. Lawrence's voice went unheard for a few moments, until she responded before abruptly hanging up, "Thank you, Shawn. Tell Topanga her father and I are coming as soon as we can."

To save time, Shawn decided to run upstairs to Eric and Jack's apartment while calling Rachel and Angela. Sprinting up the staircase, he awaited another half-asleep voice as the receiver clicked.

"Hello?" Rachel questioned.

"Hey, Rachel—" Shawn panted, still leaping up the stairs to Eric's floor. "I-I called to say that Topanga-she's in labor, uh, now—"

"Shawn, you're out of breath, what's going on?"

"I'm—I'm running up to Jack and Eric's floor to, uh, tell them to get ready."

"Okay, we'll be at the hospital as soon as we can."


	7. Chapter 7

"Alright, honey, we're gonna give you some medicine to numb the contractions, and we'll be checking in every so often to determine when we can start pushing."

As she prepared the medicine, the nurse kindly smiled at Topanga, who did her best to smile back. Cory, decked out in light blue scrubs and wearing an identically colored nurse's cap, held Topanga's clammy hands in his own gloved hands, sitting next to her on the edge of the bed.

The nurse smoothly rolled to the bedside on her stool and carefully injected the pain-killing drugs into Topanga's forearm, smiling sweetly at her before standing up and heading for the door. "I'll be back in about thirty-minutes to check on you, call me if you need anything."

As soon as the nurse left, Topanga sighed with a grimace, seeming to relax a little as the medicine kicked into her system. Her pale face glistened with streaks of sweat and her hairline was dampened as well. Her eyes reflected feelings of pure exhaustion, pain, and anxiety, nearly breaking Cory's heart as she glanced at him, struggling to maintain even breathing as she battled the sobs building up inside her throat.

To Cory, as he noticed the tears quivering in her eyes, Topanga still looked like her teenage self, not a young adult that was about to become a mother in a few hours.

Tonight had been a very agonizing night for everyone, but Topanga had suffered more than she ever had in her life, and the fear was beginning to hit her.

"Topanga," Cory began, gently sitting closer to her and comfortingly squeezing her hands. "You've done an_ unbelievable_ job handling all of this."

Her head collapsing on Cory's shoulder, Topanga calmly closed her eyes and breathed deeply, feeling her husband's presence immediately console her.

"Oh gosh, I hope Riley comes soon..." Topanga sighed, her voice rattling unstably with emotion.

"She will. If she's anything like her daddy, I know she'll rush through this as quick as she can." Cory teased, referring to his impatience in getting anything finished and over with as soon as he could. "But, if she's like _you—"_

"Stop..." Topanga laughed a little, listening to her husband's calm, light-hearted voice, even in the midst of a hospital at 2:30 AM.

A few minutes of silence passed by, as the two of them rested their eyes and laid their head's against each other, only the electric buzzing of the overhead lights and the coming and going voices of doctors and passersby in the hallway heard.

"I can't wait to see you as a father, Cory." Topanga broke the silence with a whisper. "I know you'll do a _wonderful_ job..."

"I can say the same for you, darling.." Cory replied softly with his pronunciation of ignoring the 'r'. "You've already more than proven that to me tonight..."

With that, Cory turned to kiss her warm forehead, and gaze at her swollen stomach; not too long from now, that bulge would be gone, and baby Riley would be curled up in her parents' arms.


	8. Chapter 8

As the the minute hands of the clock barely reach 4:30 AM, Alan and the rest of the crew joined others already gathered in the waiting room. Judging by the impatient, nervous body language of them all—Shawn pacing through the room with his hands pressed into the bottom of his pockets, Angela leaning her elbows on her bouncing knees, and Amy closing her eyes as she laid her head against the wall—Riley probably hadn't been born by now.

"Hey," Alan said breathlessly as he sat next to his wife, setting a fast-asleep Josh in her lap. "How's she doing?"

Amy sighed with evident stress and exhaustion, rearranging Josh into a comfortable position and fixing his blankets. "Well, she hasn't started giving birth yet, but I think the nurse is going in to check on her in a few minutes."

"How long have you guys been here?"

"Let's see—she went into labor around midnight, but we got here at two, so about two and a half hours."

Alan noticed his wife looked very drained, given what she had been through not only tonight and during the entire week. "Amy, why don't you lay your head back and try to sleep. I'll wake you up if something happens."

"You sure you will?"

"I will."

Standing up to stretch out his legs as Amy obeyed his suggestion, Alan glanced around at Topanga's worried family members and friends. Eric had his legs dangling over the arm of his chair, appearing to be both bored and thoughtful as he rested his head in his hand and watched the actions going on in the room.

Jack was sitting nearby, his legs stretched out and his arms folded across his chest as he closed his eyes. Angela's staring eyes were wide with worry for her best friend, and Rachel was quietly twisting her hands in her lap and occasionally looking down the hall where Cory and Topanga were. Morgan was lying against her mother's shoulder by now, trying to fall asleep while Mr. Feeny and Lila sat across from them, holding each other's hands as they patiently waited.

Shawn was still unable to stop moving, as he would try to sit down for a few minutes, only to stand up again to pace.

Everyone together in the waiting room reminded Alan of only a couple years ago, when they had all come to await the birth of the Matthews' final child and sibling, who was now growing quickly as he took up all the space in his mom's lap.

Now, they were present for the arrival of the firstborn of their closest friends, and for others, their first niece and grandchild.


	9. Chapter 9

"Okay, Mrs. Matthews," the nurse smiled as she looked over at the petrified eyes of the couple, Cory biting his lip as Topanga contracted her eyebrows into a fearful expression. "Everything's ready! How're you feeling?"

Topanga felt Cory's supportive squeeze of her hand as her heart jumped, realizing the moment was here. Riley was ready to come. She had prayed for a quick delivery, but now, everything in her mind wished Riley had taken her time after all. She was wishing she had been more like her mother in this situation—and not like her father.

Swallowing, Topanga returned Cory's squeeze and responded softly, yet with confidence, "I'm fine. Let's do it, let's—let's go."

The nurse, full of sympathy after having seen countless frightened young women become a mother, patted Topanga's leg as she stood, leaving to get the doctors. "Trust me, you won't even remember what it felt like after it's over."

Outside the room, as Alan noticed the nurse's exit, he stood and caught her attention with hesitancy, saying, "What's the update?"

"I'm going to go get the doctors, and we'll start delivery." The nurse responded with an optimistic tone, smiling at the grandfather-to-be.

"Oh, okay. Thank you." Alan said, turning to meet everyone's expectant eyes as the nurse headed down the hall.

Topanga's father, Jedediah Lawrence, stood as Alan faced the group, asking, "It's time?"

Alan nodded, returning to sit beside Amy, who was now wide-awake. "Doctors are getting ready to deliver the baby any minute."

Shawn finally sat down at the latest news, rapidly bouncing his knee as he stared at the floor. His best friend was about to become a father, and according to Cory and Topanga, he was going to be a godfather.

It was surreal for Shawn to reminisce back to the days when the two of them were close pals, their friendship striving through elementary, middle, high school, and college.

After nearly 18 years of friendship, Shawn and Cory were presently in a hospital, and he was more or less welcoming in the next phase of their friendship. The relationship they shared in their years of adolescence was nothing when compared to parenthood.

Shawn had more than a hunch that after the baby was born, their friendship would be at risk of possibly ending. He wouldn't be able to view Cory and Topanga as the young couple he called his closest friends; they would be the developing family of which was intruding in.

Right there in the moment, as he saw the doctors crowd into the delivery room and shut the door, Shawn decided that—awhile after the baby was born—he would go back to the apartment and pack his stuff to leave New York City.


	10. Chapter 10

The room was filled with quick motions and mixed commotion, as nurses crowded around the doctor seated at the foot of the bed, delivering assistance with his demands and focusing on giving Topanga a smooth, safe delivery.

Cory stretched himself between both them and his wife, giving his wife moral and physical support as he gave her encouraging words and gripped her trembling hand while trying to peer at the work of the doctors. He wasn't even sure if Topanga could hear him while he tried to calm her, as the chatter from the doctors and the volume of her struggling, pained breaths between pushes created too much noise for him to even think straight.

Through all the sounds in the room, Cory tried to listen for the screaming of his newborn daughter, but as the minutes passed, he still hadn't heard her cry.

The stress of the moment and overwhelming sight of Topanga in so much pain made Cory feel empathy for his dad, wondering desperately how he and his mother had survived through four deliveries. He also couldn't stop thinking about those who he had previously considered pathetic saps that passed out as their wives gave birth in the home video tapings on TV.

_Oh gosh,_ Cory thought faintly. _What if I become one of those pathetic saps and end up passing out and missing my child's birth?!_

Shaking his head to keep himself free from those worries, Cory turned to focus on Topanga and forget about his silly fear of passing out. He knew Topanga needed him, so he wasn't about to fall unconscious and leave her and the baby all alone.

"You can do it, Topanga," Cory encouraged his wife, grasping her hand with both of his hands as he glanced from her tightened facial expression down to the busied doctors. "Keep it up, honey, you're doing great. You're doing great."

"Give us a couple more strong pushes, Mrs. Matthews. You're almost there." The doctor urged.

Squeezing Cory's hand even harder, Topanga lowered her head and spent all of her effort on what small amount of strength she had left.

Cory soothingly began to rub her hand with his thumbs, reaching to her ear and saying repeatedly, "Keep going, Topanga. You're okay, honey, keep going. You're almost done, keep going, keep going..."

Topanga must have been listening to her husband's encouragement, as she slowly nodded her head and continued pushing as hard as possible, striving to hear the cries of her baby girl.

"Almost..._almost_..." The doctor said without looking up, waving his hand to signal her to keep up the effort. "_Almost_...good! Great job!"

Topanga finally exhaled heavily, releasing her grip on Cory's hand for the first time in hours as everyone in the room heard the first cries of Riley Matthews.

"You did it, Topanga! You're done!" Cory said, his grin bursting from ear to ear as he peered for his first look at his daughter. "There she is!"

The doctor gingerly handled the Matthews' little girl, her twitching limbs and scrunched-up face covered in white, sticky vernix as the doctors smiled over her and began wiping her skin. Her darkly colored hair was messily slicked down on her scalp, her cheeks were a hot red, and her tiny toes and fingers wiggled freely.

She wouldn't even dare to open her eyes as the bright lights covered her face, screaming from the new feelings in the atmosphere as she was washed gently and wrapped in a warm blanket.

"Congratulations, Matthews!" The doctor held the crying baby in his arms as he smiled at the elated parents. "Ready to hold her?"

Cory eagerly stepped forward, carefully receiving his daughter as the doctor placed her in his hands. Whether she knew it or not, Riley was finally wrapped in her father's arms, and Cory couldn't be anymore overjoyed at that moment.

Topanga, smiling just as much as he was and nearly crying with relief and joy combined, followed her daughter with her eyes as Cory slowly sat on the bedside and lowered her a little for Topanga to see.

"Hey, Riley..." Cory said softly as she choked on her frightened sobs, beginning to open her eyes a little to see who spoke in the soothing tone.

Riley seemed to recognize that she was with her parents now, as her cries quieted a little while she stared at Cory through slightly opened eyelids. Both Cory and Topanga barely breathed as they watched her stop crying, beaming at their daughter's reaction to her first encounter with her parents.

"Here's Mommy..." Cory said as he gently placed Riley in her mother's arms for the first time.

Topanga quietly cooed under her breath as she held her daughter, sniffling as her own eyes gleamed with tears. After carrying her around for months and fighting through the most pain she had ever experienced, she felt more rewarded from it all than she ever had from anything else in her life.

Just like the nurse had told her, Topanga didn't remember the pain from minutes before as she cradled Riley in her arms and gently gave her her first kiss.


	11. Chapter 11

"She weighs exactly 7 pounds and 4 ounces," the nurse said, replacing Riley in her mother's arms after her first check-up.

The doctor, as he washed his equipment off in the nearby sink, added, "21 inches tall as well. Miss Riley is a very healthy baby girl!"

"Thank you for everything," Topanga said with a grateful smile.

"We all appreciate it," Cory stood to thank the doctor and the nurse.

"My pleasure," the doctor nodded, patting Cory's arm as he warmly shook his hand. "Want me to get the family now?"

"Yes, please do," Topanga quickly looked up with a final smile as he left, reluctant to take her eyes away from Riley.

She was a beautiful newborn, and not just according to her parents. The nurses who had gently cared for her and given her a check-up constantly adored how cute she was, as her dark brown hair gleamed in the light of the heat lamp, and her warm, rosy skin felt very soft to their touch. While her eyes rarely opened, Riley's expressions were gentle and relaxed, and her face had that adorable nature that always attracted others to a baby.

Cory felt extremely proud to be the father of such a popular, loved baby among the nurses.

Soon after the doctor left, the anxious family and friends quickly packed the small room, peeking over the shoulders of others who had first dibs on holding Riley.

Shawn, as insisted by Cory, got to hold Riley before everyone else.

"Here ya go, Shawnie," Cory said softly, grinning as he observed his closest friend carefully cradle the sleeping baby beneath his arms.

Shawn couldn't believe that—after meeting Cory Matthews at four years old—he was holding his friend's precious firstborn, admiring how new and smooth her endearing face appeared. The two of them had occasionally imagined and mentioned their future in adulthood together, when they would be the best man at each other's weddings, help move the other into their first house, and have the chance to hold each other's children on their first day in the world.

Now, as both of them were 22 years old and were slowly becoming acquainted with adulthood, all three of those fantasies had become reality. As he smiled at every innocent feature of baby Riley, Shawn knew this fantasy was definitely his favorite out of the three.

"She's absolutely beautiful, Cor." Shawn congratulated his friend with a quiet, cracking voice, unable to tear his gaze away from Riley as he kept smiling, gently rocking side to side as he stood by the bed.

"Thanks, Shawn," Cory replied, watching as Shawn turned around to pass Riley into her grandparent's arms.

Amy, receiving the bundled-up baby with a delicate eagerness, tenderly gazed at her first granddaughter. As Alan peered over her shoulder with a smile identical to his wife's, they both realized with thoughtfulness that they now owned a new title: _grandparents_.

Eric and Morgan were the next to hold their niece, then Topanga's parents had the joyful realization that they were also grandparents. Afterwards, Angela and Rachel cooed over how precious Riley was, Jack following with soft affection.

Finally, it was Mr. Feeny's turn.

"We saved the best for last," Cory grinned, placing his daughter in the arms of his long-time teacher, personal mentor, and close friend.

This was the only time that Mr. Feeny had held the offspring of any of his many students, and he was emotionally overwhelmed as he silently thought about the years of knowing both the Lawrence's and the Matthews. Since they had both stood at height with his waist, Mr. Feeny had watched Cory and Topanga's rare relationship develop and strengthen, eventually finding himself present at their wedding and now, in the delivery room of a hospital, holding their newborn daughter.

Glancing from Riley to her parents, who fondly watched the first meeting between their daughter and their lifetime mentor, Mr. Feeny still recognized their faces as the ones he'd seen in kindergarten.

"I've known you both as being two of my closest students for years. I cannot believe I am now meeting you as parents. Congratulations."


	12. Chapter 12

The excitement briefly calmed down after awhile, as exhaustion began to catch up with the family.

Just as eight o' clock in the morning rolled around, the friends and families started to return to their apartments and hotel rooms to sleep awhile, as more relatives would be coming into NYC later that day. Only Shawn stayed, sharing some special alone time with Cory as they watched Riley sleep inside the nursery.

They leaned into the glass windows in silence for awhile, thoughtfully noticing the rising and falling of Riley's tiny chest. She had survived through the meetings with her family and friends-sleeping through all of the thrill-and was now wrapped up in a pink blanket, a small beanie of the same color warming her head.

"Congratulations, Cory." Shawn grinned, gripping his shoulder's as he slapped his back. "I can't believe you're actually a dad now."

"Neither can I." Cory said, still gazing at his daughter with a smile. "I can't believe I have a daughter lying right across from me."

"You're pretty blessed, huh? Pretty blessed..." Shawn's voice trailed off, remembering that they were now a family. He hadn't told Cory about his decision he had made in the waiting room, but unfortunately, now would be his only opportunity to tell him.

"You three are a family, and I couldn't be happier for you. I really couldn't." Shawn began. "But, it's time for me to move out."

Cory finally stopped looking at his daughter, turning to Shawn and saying, "Move out of the apartment? You don't have to do that, Shawn, you're not in the way."

"Yeah, I am." Shawn said. "When one door closes, another door opens. And when one door opens, another door closes. A new life is starting for you and Topanga, and I need to give you both some space."

Cory appeared solemn as he silently listened to Shawn. He didn't protest as he usually did, he just listened.

Shawn noticed his reaction, and he realized that Cory didn't argue because, unlike he usually did when it came to these kind of decisions, he was agreeing with him. "I'm leaving New York City today."

Glancing up at Shawn's serious, somber expression, Cory reached out his hand and pulled them both into a long, quiet hug.

"I'll really miss you, Shawn."

"I'll miss you too, Cor."

After a few moments, Shawn ended the hug with a final pat as he stepped away, smiling at Cory. "I'll see you at Christmas in a couple weeks."

With a little sniffle and a smile, Cory nodded. What Shawn had said was right, and the door to the relationship they had had forever closed today. It would still open, as they would always be best friends, but things wouldn't ever be like they had been.

Shawn turned around and headed for the elevator at the end of the hall, and the final ding once it reached the ground floor signaled his exit.


End file.
